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“EU work programme is another missed opportunity” Martina Anderson MEP

Speaking
in the European Parliament today on the EU proposed Work Programme,
Sinn Féin MEP, Martina Anderson branded it another lost opportunity.

Martina Anderson a member of the GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament said:

“We
look forward to making a constructive and positive input to the Work
Programme 2013 proposals which have the potential to benefit the people
of Europe.

“However taken as a whole, the work programme seems to be another missed opportunity.

“While there is much to think about in the Commission’s Programme, as always, the devil will be in the detail.

“It
needed to come up with a radically new approach. It needed to put
people's needs before profits and it needed to recognise thatausterity
measures are particularly detrimental to women and children. Child
poverty has increased substantially as a result of austerity.

“I listened carefully to what Vice-President MarošŠefcovic
had to say about youth initiatives, but despite the upbeat rhetoric,
measures to invest in jobs and growth are half-hearted and underfunded.
They are rendered ineffective by the ideological attachment to the
politics of austerity which has resulted in 25million unemployed across
Europe.

“It
is disappointing that the work programme doesn't address the failed
policy of pursuing third world employment conditions in public services.

“We
will not get out of the crisis by lowering wages and destroying jobs
and public services and by cutting spending while pouring billions into
failed banks.

“Following
September’s State of the Union address by President Barroso I suggested
that he needed to give his head a good shake. I respectfully suggest
that Vice-President MarošŠefcovic needs to do the same.”